Welcome to echonaija: April 2015

Thursday, 30 April 2015

Super Amazing! See biro drawing of president Jonathan

Here's a finished piece on President Jonathan by Nigerian artist, Oscar Chuks. Drawn with a ball point Pen (BIC) on white embossed paper. Amazing! See the original pic after the cut...

Above is a photo of some of the girls recently rescued by Nigerian troops from Sambisa Forest. Meanwhile Spokesperson of the Defence Headquarters, Major General Chris Olukolade, says identity of the rescued females is still unknown. He said this while addressing newsmen in Abuja today

"Additional number of persons are still being recovered from the forest. Until such comprehensive profiling is done, nobody can confirm whether they are among the Chibok girls or not. Whoever they may be, the important thing is that Nigerians held captive under very severe and inhuman condition have been freed by our gallant troops.

President Zuma of South Africa has reportedly put a call across to President Jonathan to express his sadness over the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa. He appealed to President Jonathan not to allow the incident affect the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

Reports of the phone call is contained in a statement released by the office of the South African president today April 30th. The statement in part below

“The two Presidents reaffirmed the warm and cordial relations between South Africa and Nigeria and pledged that the two countries will continue to work together for the good of their people and the continent as a whole. President Jonathan expressed his support for the efforts of South Africa to arrest the attacks on foreign nationals and to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, including foreign nationals and those from the African continent in particular, who bore the brunt of the attacks earlier this month (April).”

Gospel artist Solomon Lange's pre-wedding shoot

Popular Gospel artist Solomon Lange will be getting married to his bride Florence this Saturday in Abuja and just released these lovely pre-wedding photos. Congrats to them. See more photos after the cut...

Read the state House press release below...

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan declared Thursday in Abuja that if members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) remain committed to the vision of its founding fathers and work very hard, the party will return to power at the Federal level in 2019. Speaking after receiving the report of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization at the Presidential Villa, President Jonathan said that the party already had all that it will require to win the 2019 elections, but needed to return to the drawing board to re-strategize for the future.

“Whatever happened was like a slip. You don’t need to travel to America to know how power moves from the Republicans to the Democrats and from the Democrats to the Republicans.

The State House Press statement below..

President Goodluck Jonathan pledged Thursday in Abuja that he will do all within his powers to ensure that all Nigerian territory still held by terrorists and insurgents are totally liberated before May 29, 2015. Receiving a delegation of Heads of Customs from the West and Central African Region of the World Customs Organisation led by the Secretary-General of the organisation, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, President Jonathan said that he was determined to hand over a country completely free of terrorist strongholds to the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari.

President-elect Gen. Buhari says he never gave the directive to anyone to bar AIT from covering his activities. In a statement released this evening and signed by the Director of Publicity for the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Garba Shehu, Gen Buhari said this is the era of change and that he along with his staff will ensure they do not make the same mistakes the outgoing government made.

"The time for change has come and we must avoid making the same mistakes that the outgoing government made" the statement read in part.

The statement also stated that Gen Buhari instructed his staff to"steer clear of all dealings with the media, and leave all media affairs to his official media team. "I would like everyone to henceforth stay within his/her defined area of responsibility,” Buhari said.

None of the rescued 293 females is from Chibok - Borno govt

Borno state govt says profiling of the 293 females rescued from Sambisa forest yesterday April 28th shows that they are from Damboa local government and not from Chibok as was highly speculated.

Speaking with newsmen in Maiduguri today April 29th, the state Commissioner for Information, Dr. Mohammed Bulama, say the rescued females are from Bumsiri village in Damboa Local government area and were all kidnapped from the village by the sect members.

Members of the Chibok community in Borno State have not yet seen any of their 219 schoolgirls abducted over a year ago by Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast of the much beleaguered state.

However, they insist that they have high hopes that their missing daughters would soon walk home. Tuesday’s rescue of 200 girls and 93 women that was announced by the authorities has raised their hopes that things might soon turn around for good for them, and their daughters would eventually be rescued.

The Nigerian military high command on Tuesday announced that troops had rescued some 200 girls and 93 women during a counter-insurgency operation near Sambisa Games Reserve where the Boko Haram insurgents have their camps.

The Nigerian military has moved the 293 females they rescued two days ago from Sambisa Forest to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital where they are to undergo series of test including HIV and pregnancy test. According to a military source who spoke to Punch, 7 of the girls rescued had gunshot wounds and are being treated at the hospital. The 200 girls rescued are of between ages 13 and 18 years.

Nepal Earthquake: Teenager pulled from rubble after 5 days (photos)

15 year old Pemba was pulled out alive after five days under the rubble. He was in a guest house that collapsed during the earthquake in Nepal. He said he drank water dripping from wet clothes to survive and prayed for people to find him. There were still people shouting from under the rubble where Pemba was found but rescue workers have not been able to get to them. See another pic after the cut...

11 year old Marvelous Adekunle is missing! According to his family, he left his home at Matanmi Street Onipanu, Lagos at about 6:30am yesterday morning 29th April and never returned. Please if you see him, kindly call any of these numbers 08058568894, 08029886720,07086339434 or report to the nearest police station.

Lagos government shuts 24 religious buildings over noise pollution

Lagos state government says in the last one year it has shut down 24 religious buildings in the state following complaints of noise pollution they produce in areas where they are situated as well as their non adherence to the state guidelines on noise pollution.

Lagos state Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello pictured left above disclosed this at the 2015 ministerial press briefing held in Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja yesterday April 29th

“We received over 1, 000 petitions in the year under review. But we have been able to resolve some and some have relocated. We have shut about 24 religious outfits in the last one year because they failed to adhere to the state guidelines on noise pollution.”he said

New beautiful pics of baby rescued from Nepal's earthquake rubble

The 4-months old baby, Sonit Awal, who was rescued yesterday April 29th from the rubble of the Nepal earthquake after being trapped for 22 hours pictured right looking fresh and healthy in new photos released today. God is great! More photos after the cut...

A study by the Gates Foundation and the Clinton Foundation shows that Nigerian women lead the pack of female entrepreneurs in the world. Above is a graph drawn by researchers to show countries with highest number of female entrepreneurs in the world. Go Nigerian women!

Charly Boy prepared to ride his bike from Abuja to China if...

Oya, Buhari please make it happen! Lol. It's possible! :-)

Wednesday, 29 April 2015

GEJ sacks MD of Nigerian Ports Authority, appoints Sanusi Lamido Ado Bayero as new MD

Read the State House press release below...

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the appointment of Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Ado Bayero as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). Alhaji Sanusi, a lawyer, from Kano State takes over from Mallam Habib Abdullahi (pictured above) who has been relieved of his appointment as Managing Director of the NPA.

The appointment of the new NPA Managing Director takes effect from tomorrow, Thursday, April 30 2015.
President Jonathan thanks the outgoing Managing Director for his services and wishes well in his future endeavours.

Reuben Abati Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) April 29, 2015

Strange case of how 2 unrelated men with same name & identical looks sparked the need for fingerprinting in the US

The man on the left was called Will West, while the one on the right was called William West, and they were both sentenced to jail at Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas over 100 years ago.

Will West arrived at the same prison in 1903, two years after William West was imprisoned. His arrival caused the records clerk at the prison considerable confusion, because he was convinced he’d processed him two years previously.

US First Lady Michelle Obama looked gorgeous in a blue dress by Japanese designer Tadashi Shoji at the White House State dinner held yesterday in honour of Japan's Prime Minister Shinzō Abe. See more photos after the cut...

Why is this happening so much these days? Why? This pretty girl above was abducted from her home at World Bank Housing in Owerri on April 24th. See the broadcast sent out below...

"Alert! Yannie Munachimso Oforduru, a 5year old girl was kidnapped by unknown people at her home in Owerri during the early hours of Friday, 24th April. Any useful info as to her whereabouts should please call these number 08037075960.

Togo's President wins 3rd term [PHOTO]

All these people that want to die in power. Togo's President Faure Gnassingbe, has been re-elected for a third term. Togo's electoral officials say Gnassingbe got 59% of the vote while his main opponent Jean-Pierre Fabre, took 35% of the vote. His family has been in power for 48 years.

Gnassingbe has ruled since the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who took power in a coup in 1967.

Buhari inaugurates 19-member Transition Committee [PHOTOS]

The President-elect, Gen. Buhari, today Wednesday April 29th in Abuja inaugurated a 19-member Transition Committee to liaise with its Federal Government counterpart to ensure a smooth transition. See the photos and names of the transition committee members after the cut...

A frontline campaigner of the Bringbackourgirls group, Aisha Yesufu has raised some questions over the military's claims that the 200 girls rescued from Sambisa forest yesterday April 28th are not the Chibok girls. These are questions that need to be asked. See another tweet after the cut...

Jeffrey Dahmer is one of the world's worst serial killers and sex offenders. He committed the rape, murder and dismemberment of 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991. His later murders involved cannibalism and sex acts on corpses. He was killed in prison in 1994 by another inmate Christopher Scarver (right), who is now speaking out about the killing for the first time in 21 years.

Scarver, who was sent to prison for killing his boss during a robbery in 1990 said he hated Dahmer when they were both serving time at the Columbia Correctional Institution because he never showed remorse for what he did and instead spent his time taunting other criminals over his sick crimes.

The Chairman of Daar Communications, owners of AIT, Chief Raymond Dokpesi says that the president-elect, Gen Buhari lacked the constitutional powers to stop his TV station from covering his activities. According to him, the decision to bar the station on Monday April 27th was a reminder of the Decree 4 era which he, Buhari, enacted against freedom of the press when he was in power

"I am sure that the President-elect needs to be reminded of Decree 4, and he should be clearly reminded that section 32 of the constitution makes it mandatory for the media to hold public officials accountable to the people. The president-elect said that he does not want to be covered by AIT, but AIT has a responsibility to the Nigerian public to report the things that are happening.

President-elect and his deputy seen having breakfast with a sachet of N40 milo on their table...

Buhari's govt will encourage free press - VP-elect, Yemi Osinbajo

Vice President-elect Professor Yemi Osinbajo took to twitter to state that Gen. Buhari's government will encourage free press when they assume power.

Buhari expresses delight at the rescue of captured girls and women

President-elect, Gen Buhari happy about news of the rescue of 293 girls and women from Sambisa Forest by Nigerian troops yesterday April 28th.

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The truth about women – and the men who love them – goes beyond how they look or what they wear. Sometimes, its the less obvious attributes women have that get their man’s attention.
So, ladies, I did us a favour by asking people, mostly men, about what gets their attention. Here are some of the responses I got.

1. Flipping Your Hair: Women do this better with a hairstyle that has a front or side fringe. It might seem very innocent, but men love it when women do that. Trust me. I know.

According to this person from Burundi, the government blocked WhatsApp and Viber access in the country following violent protests over the country's President, Pierre Nkurunziza's decision to run for 3rd term in office. Protesters clashed with police today for a third straight day. The government believes protesters use these apps to engage others and convince them to join the fight...

Army spokesman says 200 girls rescued today are not Chibok girls?

The army tweeted this evening that they can't confirm if Chibok girls were among the 200 girls they rescued from Sambisa forest today, that they will know after they screen and profile the rescued girls. But now Reuters, AP and Al-Jazeera are reporting that an Army Spokesperson has confirmed Chibok girls are not among the 293 girls and women rescued today.

Army spokesman Col. Sani Usman told The Associated Press that troops destroyed and cleared four militant camps and rescued 200 abducted girls and 93 women "but they are not the Chibok girls." (Let's wait for official confirmation from Army Spokesperson, Olukolade).

Personally, Chibok girls or not, atleast they found these ones, and by the way how did we loose 293 females and nobody heard about it? See more tweets after the cut...

According to the Remuneration Package put together by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice-president Namadi Sambo, non-returning Senators and House of Representatives members, ministers and presidential aides will be paid a severance package of about N3.24bn as their stay in office terminates on May 29th this year.

According to Punch, President Jonathan is entitled to 300 per cent of his annual basic salary which is put at N3, 514,705 and therefore his severance allowance will be N10, 544,115 after May 29. This however does not affect his constitutional benefits as a former President.

Over 5,000 have been recorded dead since the massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the country on Saturday April 25th. However God protected this precious 4 month old baby who was rescued by he Nepalarmy after 4 days of being trapped in the Nepal earthquake rubble.Another photo after the cut...

Indonesia’s attorney general HM Prasetyo says the withdrawal of the Australian ambassador from the country is only “momentary”.

The Netherlands have done the same thing in the past. Brazil has done the same thing. I think this is just a momentary reaction, and this will be settled within the diplomatic sphere. What we are doing is carrying out the court decision. Every case should have an end.”

The Chairperson House Committee on Diaspora matters, Abike Dabiri-Erewa said their are more Nigerians waiting to be executed in Indonesia. Speaking on Channels TV News at 10 last night, Hon Abike said a federal government delegation in which she was part of in 2008 visited Indonesia and found there were 21 Nigerians who were on death row in Indonesia for drug related offenses. She said nothing can be done as its the law in Indonesia. She said every 5m you walk, a sign is displayed saying the penalty for drug trafficking is death

Drug convicts executed in Indonesia buried [PHOTOS]

Indonesia disregarded last-minute appeals and executed 8 drug traffickers including 4 Nigerians. Pictures of the dead being buried and details from their last minutes before being executed have been released to the media. According to the pastors who were with them in their final hours, Andrew Chan, Myuran Sukumaran and the other 6 death row inmates declined to wear blindfolds and were singing as they were shot by a 13-member firing squad in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The 8 men chose to face their executioners and spent their last minutes on earth praising God and singing songs which included 'Amazing Grace'.

On Wednesday morning, Pastor Christie Buckingham - who read Chan and Sukumaran their last rites - said the 8 death row inmates walked out onto the killing field singing religious songs in the moments before they were executed. Pastor Buckingham said the men conducted themselves with 'dignity and strength until the end'. Another pastor, Karina de Vega, said it was a 'beautiful experience'. See more photos after the cut...

All accredited media, including AIT, free to cover President-elect’s activities – APC

APC just released a statement saying all accredited media, including AIT, are free to cover President-elect’s activities. Read below...

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that all accredited media organizations in the country, including the African Independent Television (AIT), are free to cover the activities of the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the incoming Buhari Administration will not discriminate against any media organization, irrespective of its role during the electioneering campaign leading up to the recent polls.

Press statement from the PDP on AIT ban, which the APC has since lifted..

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as unacceptable the Monday’s directive by the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to bar a television house, the AIT, from covering his activities, saying the suppression of the media under any guise portends danger for the nation’s democracy.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh in a statement on Tuesday said that after carefully studying the defence posited by General Buhari’s campaign spokesperson as well as the smokescreen statement by the APC to cover and mitigate his anti-media posture, the PDP and indeed all lovers of democracy are persuaded that the action was not only unjustifiable, but also unconstitutional and completely against the spirit of liberty and the rule of law in a democracy.

Thursday, 30 April 2015

Wednesday, 29 April 2015

Tuesday, 28 April 2015